Steam drifter mechanism for locomotives



5. B. SEARLE. v STEAM DR+F-TER MECHANISM FOR LOCOMOTIVES."

APPLICATION FILED JUNE 11 Patented July 25, 159 22;

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on DENVER, ooLonAno.

' Application filed" June 11,

T0 allwhomit may concern: I

Be it known that I,-FREDERI0K B. SEARLE, a citizen of the United States,residing at the city and countyofDenver and State of Colorado, haveinvented certain new and useful Improvements in Steam Drifter Mechanismfor Locomotives; and I do declare the following to be a full, clear, andexact description of the invention, such as will enable others skilledinthe art to which it appertains to make and use the same, ref erencebeing had tothe'accompanying drawings, and to the characters "ofreference marked thereon,"which form a part of this specification. Q

The object of this invention is to provide means for supplying moist;steam to the superh'eaters and cylinders of a locomotive when the samedrifting, in order to maintain a fairly even temperature and to insureproper lubrication, said steam being automatically shut off when theengine is stopped. Heretofore, when the throttle has been closed fordrifting, all steam has been out off permitting the temperature to riserapidly. This has affected lubrication while the sudden temperaturechanges have affected the joints of the fittings.

Briefly, the invention comprises a conduit adapted to carry steam fromthe boiler to the header, from where it will be conducted into thesuperheaters and cylinders when the throttle is closed. This conduit isprovided with a valve, operated by air under pressure, and the air issupplied to the operating part of the valve by means of a feeder whichis driven from some moving part of the locomotive, such as one of thetrailer wheels. In the drawing:

Fig. l is a diagrammatic showing of parts of a locomotive, showing theapplication of the invention.

Fig. 2 is a section through the air feeder; and

Fig. 3 is a section through the steam-controlling valve.

The drawings represent a conventional locomotive having a boiler B, cabC, firebox F, running board R. The boiler is preferably provided withinthe cab with a turret 10, from which there leads a moist steam conduit12, which may be equipped with a hand-operated valve 14. The conduit 12leads to the header 15 of the locomotive, which normally receives livesteam through a dry pipe 16, leading from the steam dome i Specificationof Letters Patent.

Patented July 25, 1922,

1920. "serial No. "388,252.

18, the steam being fed from said header 15 by means of superheaterpipes 20, which lead to the cylinders 22, The conduit 12 is provided,preferably just forward of the cab, with a valve housing 25, having apartition 26 provided with a relatively deep seat for a valve 28,mounted on a valve stem 30. The valve stem 30 extends into a casing 32,provided with an adjustable leakage screw 33, by means of which leakageof the air from the casing 82 may be controlled. The casing is providedwith an extension 34, threaded intoan opening in the valve housing 25.In thls manner the casing may be removed with the housing'25, and thevalve 28 thereby withdrawn for grinding purposes when necessary. Theextension 34 is provided with a leakage port 35, for steam, so that anysteam which might leak along the stem 30 will be prevented from'passinginto the air casing 32. The stem 30 is operated by means of a piston 36,normally urged toward valve-seating position by means of a spring 38,which bears at one end against the piston 36 and at the other endagainst an adjustable sleeve 40, threaded into the upper end of thecasing 32, and also serving as a guide for the valve stem 30.

An air pipe 42 leads into the casing 32 from a cylinder 44, mounted uponthe running board R, this cylinder being open at both ends andcontaining a piston and a main portion 45, to which there is connected,by a shaft 46, a spaced auxiliary portion 48, whereby an air-receivingpocket 49 is provided between the said two portions 45 and 48. Thepiston is driven by means of a connecting rod 50, operated by a crank52, driven by a groove pulley 54, which receives a belt 55, connectedwith a pulley 56 on a trailer wheel 58. Air under pressure is fed intothe receiving chamber 49 in the cylinder 44, from a small pipe 60, whichmay have a reduced portion 62 to cut down air pressure, which pipe leadsfrom the main air line 64 of the engine.

In operation, when the locomotive is moving, the trailer wheel 58,through the belt 55, will reciprocate the piston 45 so that the pocket49 when opposite to the pipe 60, will receive a charge of air underpressure. At the opposite end of the stroke, said charge will bedelivered to the pipe 42, the pipe 60 being closed by the auxiliarypiston portion 48 when in this position. In this manner, small chargesof compressed air are fed continuously through the pipe 42 to the airchamber 32. T he leakage screw 33 will be so adjusted that suliicientair pressure wiil be maintained within the chamber 32 to raise thepiston 36 against the tension of spring 38 and thereby open valve 28.This willpermit the passage of moist steam from the boiler through theconduit 12 to the header 15, whence it will be carried to the cylinders22, thereby lubricating the same when the throttle is closed.

When the engine is not running, there will be no reciprocation of thepiston 4:5, so that no air will be fed to the casing 32and the valve 28will remain closed. This pro-- duces a practically fool-proof device andprevents the possibility of a small amount of steam being fed to thecylinders 22 so that the engine might be caused to move, when notdesired.

1 claim: v

1. In drifter lubricator for locomotives having a live steam conduitadapted to be connected with the cylinders of a locomotive, a pressurecontrolled valve in said conduit, and a source of compressed air, meansoperated by a moving part of said locomotive, when the latter isrunning, for intermittently transferring air from saidcompressed airsource to said valve, said means comprising a cylinder, a reciprocatingpiston therein, a crank and connecting rod for reciprocating, saidpiston, an annular pocket in said piston, an intake and an. outlet pipeentering said cylinder and so located that the pocket engagesalternately with first one and then the other whereby air isintermittently transferred from the intake pipe to the outlet pipe. a

2. In combination, a locomotive having a boiler, a cylinder and a partwhich moves when thelocomotive drifts, a moist steam connection leadingfrom the boiler to the cylinder, a valve in said connection, means tooperate said valve, said operating means being connected with saidmoving part and adapted to be moved thereby, said operating meanscomprising a member connected with a

